Tomorrow is the big day. It is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Assumption Grotto goes all out making it a day of prayer. There was a beautiful article in, "The Michigan Catholic".
The poster above, made by a parishioner, shows Archbishop Vigneron on 2009, singing to the Blessed Virgin Mary after the candlelight procession. He celebrated the Mass that year - his first as Archbishop of Detroit. Just so no one misunderstands, His Excellency will not be with us this year, to the best of my knowledge.
Unlike past years, I will not be taking photos this year. My camera broke on Friday. Aside from that, I was feeling like it was time to just bring myself. I've never had a chance simply to devote myself entirely to prayer and worship on this solemnity. So, tomorrow, I will do just that.
The highlight of the day is the big 7:00 PM Mass and candlelight procession. Dress warm!
There is a spaghetti dinner which ends at 5:30. It's a good idea to get there before then. Parking can be a challenge. Don't get there at 6:30 and expect a parking spot. There is shuttle service going all day to and from St. Veronica's which is just about 2 miles away, in Eastpointe. See map here.
Most Masses will be down by the grotto. There are wheel chairs to assist those who cannot walk that far.
The evening Mass will be in the Extraordinary Form. I believe Fr. Perrone is the celebrant and if it is like past years, it will be a Solemn High Mass, with choir and a small orchestra. Usually, the Noon is also in EF. I'm not sure about the 9:30 a.m. Mass. The 6:30 a.m. Mass is the usually in English and has no music.
You will find more concise schedules posted around the parish.
A note about anointing advertised in the poster. The Sacrament of Anointing is not indiscriminately given. The priests usually explain who may be anointed. As with any Sacrament, souls must be predisposed for it. Therefore, private, Sacramental Confession is available in the parish church before hand (the anointing takes place down by the grotto).
Someone once asked me about this kind of communal anointing. From the catechism:
1517 Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration,132 whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum" for "passing over" to eternal life.
I've seen the priests sometimes have a brief discussion beforehand with someone who seeks it and is not in advanced age or visibly ill. It is not like what I recall when, after Mass, a priest went up and down the aisles anointing anyone and everyone who stepped forward. If in doubt, ask a priest in advance. Here is a video of the anointing some years ago, and the Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament that followed.
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It is with shock and sadness that I bring the news to fellow Grotto parishioners that Pam Manteuffel passed away overnight, yesterday. She had not been feeling well for many months and was taken to the hospital last week only to learn she had lymphoma. She was too weak for the biopsy, then passed away rather unexpectedly at 2 a.m. Saturday, before anything else could be done.
Pam was a fixture at the convent, always helping the sisters and Opus Angelorum. She was also known for her pro-life work, and was a familiar face in the chapel and in the parish Church during Adoration, Mass, and other devotions.
Update: From the Will and Schwarzkoff Funeral Home website (source link)
Pamela L. Manteuffel, age 70 of Harrison Township, passed away early Saturday morning at Henry Ford - Macomb Hospital, Clinton Township. She was born August 10, 1943 to Florian and Helen (Gugala) Manteuffel in Detroit, Michigan. Pamela was a graduate of the University of Detroit, and was a member of Assumption Grotto Catholic Church. She was a teacher at St. David Catholic School and Denby High School, and retired in 2009 as a medical technologist from William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. Pamela did volunteer work for Sisters of the Holy Cross, and enjoyed gardening, cooking and traveling. She is survived by her mother, Helen of Harrison Township; siblings, Max (Cynthia) Manteuffel of Florida, Michael (Fidez) Manteuffel of California, Linda (Ed) Allen of Shelby Township, Gregory Manteuffel of California, Laurence (Mary) Manteuffel of Washington Township, Mark (Teri) Manteuffel of Chesterfield, Maria Wilcox of Harrison Township, Ronald (Kit) Manteuffel of Chesterfield, and Andrea Jantz of Harrison Township, and 13 nieces and nephews. Pamela was predeceased by her father, Florian in 1994. Visiting hours are 3 - 9 p.m. (with an 8:00 p.m. Rosary), Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at Will and Schwarzkoff Funeral Home, 233 Northbound Gratiot, Mount Clemens. A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. (in state 9:30) Wednesday at Assumption Grotto Catholic Church, 13770 Gratiot, Detroit with Father Eduard Perrone officiating. Burial will follow at Assumption Grotto Cemetery.Share memories at willandschwarzkoff.com
The daughter of a parishioner at Assumption Grotto, and her three month old baby, have lost everything they own in a house fire, including their beloved pet. In your mercy, please pray for them, and consider helping them to get back on their feet. Donations are being accepted at this Go Fund Me page for her and the baby.
Go Fund me uses credit cards.
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There are lots of ways to try to change the hearts of bishops where one thinks change is needed. Some feel certain bishops are going out of their way to hinder the use of the extraordinary form Mass. In some dioceses, this may be true. But, one sure way to fail at driving change, is to publicly mock and ridicule, "the bishops." It doesn't matter if it's done in a general way, or by name. Such behavior will lead only to a self-fulfilling prophecy when those bishops, and ordinary people, think all traditionalists are cranks who can't seem to find 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 if it was taped to the inside of the 1962 hand missal. St. Francis de Sales makes the point:
One of the most evil dispositions possible is that which satirises and turns everything to ridicule. God abhors this vice, and has sometimes punished it in a marked manner. Nothing is so opposed to charity, much more to a devout spirit, as contempt and depreciation of one's neighbour, and where satire and ridicule exist contempt must be. (St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life)
How much more offensive to God it must be when the target of contempt is a bishop? Oh, people inform me all the time that St. Thomas Aquinas said we can fraternally correct a prelate, even in public, if what he says or does presents a danger to the faith. But, I wonder how many have read it in context of all that he wrote on the subject? And, kvetching is not fraternal correction. Aquinas lays down some boundaries that are somewhat inconvenient to the trigger-happy. When composing or sharing something online we should also be mindful of canon 1373.
If you want to compound the failure in communication, simply gin up the crowd-anger by mixing in other complaints in a condescending and abrasive manner on passionate subjects like Communion-in-the-hand. Hit a triple by showing public scorn for particular bishops by including the most undignified pictures of them in the narrative; and, don't forget to present every word and action in the most unfavorable light. Toss out the traditional practice of making excuses for others to protect their dignity. In this way opinion of them is lowered in the eyes of others. Consider how Our Lord treated Judas. St. Augustine points out something worthy of pondering...:
Of this patience Himself afforded and showed an example, when, before the passion of His Body, He so bore with His disciple Judas, that ere He pointed him out as the traitor, He endured him as a thief; and before experience of bonds and cross and death, did, to those lips so full of guile, not deny the kiss of peace.
One can advocate for more extraordinary form Masses or ending Communion in the hand, or any other subject that brings out strong emotions, but it ought not be made with all the tact of bison in a ballroom. In fact, the more sensitive the issue, the greater the need for restraint in how it is discussed - if progress is desired. If we want people to hear what we have to say on these topics, we have to cease the condescension, mockery, ridicule, and abrasiveness. It's not necessary. In fact, it is counterproductive, no matter how entertaining it may be to the choir. When we die, God won't ask us how well we entertained others; but, He might have something to say about our sins against charity. Venting is not a virtue; it's a vice. More from St. Francis de Sales:
A brave man can easily bear with contempt, slander and false accusation from an evil world; but to bear such injustice at the hands of good men, of friends and relations, is a great test of patience.
Read that whole section from St. Francis de Sales. It will have you heading into Adoration to meditate rather than desiring to commiserate at the usual watering holes that leave you feeling hopeless, bitter, and angry. See also what St. Alphonsus says about anger.
How to advocate for a good cause
Bishop Athanasius Schneider has been traveling the world, and writing books,(1) discussing how we can increase reverence for the Eucharist interiorly and exteriorly. He does so in the most respectful way, very mindful of the dignity of those he addresses and speaks about. His is a mission love - love for God that is manifest in the dignified way he speaks about the subject, about his concerns, and about people. Anyone who has heard Bishop Schneider speak can sense that love. He is not abrasive; he does not put on airs; he does not make use of put-downs and ridicule. He explains and teaches, constantly proposing with gentleness and meekness. Sometimes he is firm on a point, but his most firm expressions are gentle and loving. Knowing Bishop Schneider from his visits to Detroit, I can attest that his gentle and meek manner has everything to do with the fact that he is aware people have a free will and can accept or reject what he teaches. This is prudence in action.
If you want to help Bishop Schneider, then follow his gentle and meek way of advocating. If you want to harm his mission and cause a good many bishops, priests, and people in general to reject the discussion altogether, and turn against it, then go ahead and mock and ridicule them publicly.
I've seen people use Bishop Schneider's interviews and quotes to browbeat other Catholics over Eucharistic reverence. I've seen people use the words of Cardinal Burke likewise, as well as Pope Benedict XVI. I've never heard any of them speak the way that I see others sometimes quote them. All this does is get people to tune out what they have to say. It never ceases to amaze me that anyone would think that quoting them in vinegar-laced airs would convince others to hear their words. It is so contradictory and unorthodox to promote reverence for the Eucharist or, for the EF Mass, by abrasive and condescending means.
Let's all remember to pray for our bishops and priests. Where our public, and private, respectful discussion cannot make headway, prayers can. We have to be mindful, that what God doesn't will, He permits. If the thing we want doesn't come when we want, despite respectful discussion and prayer, then it is best to leave it in God's hands.
"We can have the most beautiful liturgy in the world, and not have love... It's just for show.... As we seek our way forward...not to be angry and embittered, but people filled with the joy of the Gospel, in love with Our Lord Jesus, and sharing that with our brothers and sisters..." - Archbishop Alexander K. Sample at first Pontifical Mass in EF as Archbishop of Portland.
Today is the feast day of St. Alphonsus. In his book on The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ, Chapter 8, he writes about anger and how easy it is to fall into sinful anger.
Still, as we all know, there are times when it seems absolutely necessary to answer insolence with severity. Occasions do occur when we may resort to righteous anger. But this we must remember: It may sometimes be expedient - speculatively speaking - to answer someone severely; but in practice it is very difficult to do so without some fault on our part.
We should take great care to practice meekness, especially when we are corrected, either by those who hold authority over us, or by our friends. Saint Francis de Sales writes: "To receive a correction cheerfully proves that we love the virtue in which we have failed. And, consequently, this is an indication of growth in holiness". We should even practice meekness toward ourselves in this case. Anger at ourselves is a deceit of the Devil to make us think that it is somehow virtuous to act in this way after we have committed a fault.
Gentleness is even more important when we must correct others. Corrections made in anger often do more harm than good, especially when the person corrected is also excited. In such a case, the correction should be postponed. If we correct others when we are angry ourselves, our correction will always be mixed with harshness, and the person being corrected will, consequently, ignore our admonition.
We must prove how dearly we love Jesus Christ by meekly and gladly accepting every kind of injury and contempt.
We are what we eat
Years ago, after reading that chapter, I stopped following Catholic sites that seemed to gin up anger by focusing on some outrage or another, daily. I'm not talking about the occasional thing someone might talk about; rather, I'm talking about Catholic sites that seem to draw traffic on scandal and outrage. Our human fallen nature is drawn to it - whether it is in a printed tabloid in that check-out line, or in an online tabloid masquerading as orthodox Catholicism. Don't allow yourself to be dragged into those things. Jesus told us to imitate Him because He was meek and gentle of heart, not because he flipped tables.
So, what do we do about the evil around us? Go to an Adoration chapel and pray. Pray a Rosary. Read Scripture. Read classic works by the saints. Go find some charitable work to do or help an elderly neighbor. Spend time with your spouse and kids doing wholesome activities. Make use of labor in prayerful silence. All these things can be offered up to convert souls from their evil ways. Do you want to really help the Christians being persecuted by radical Islamists? Here's the Catholic response. Does this mean we can't talk about those things? No. But, we should be discerning whether something is causing us to be in a chronic state of anger.
I shared a post yesterday on the movie of Saint Sharbel with English subtitles online. At one point, two monks from another monastery enter where he was dining with other brothers. He explained that they were being persecuted by the Turkish regime and monks from several monasteries rose up against them. Blood was shed - some were killed on both sides. A young monk turns to Saint Sharbel and appeals to him using Scripture, after seeing him lower his head in disapproval. He responds, in part:
By acting on anger, we can cross into sinful anger very easily, and become tools of the devil, all the while thinking we are doing God's work. There is a thing called righteous anger, but let me pull out one sentence from the quote by St. Alphonsus:
It may sometimes be expedient - speculatively speaking - to answer someone severely; but in practice it is very difficult to do so without some fault on our part.
I priest I know of a very traditionalist bent, who doesn't seem to get too worked up the way we see some traditionalists online, once told me that much of the anger we see displayed is not authentic righteous anger. We were, in fact, talking about bitter Catholics online. I think this will make good content for a follow up post some day. I will try to get more perspective from him on this. In the meanwhile, we need to learn about how to counter sinful anger.
Meekness is the virtue that is contrary to anger. Fr. Hardon writes:
"...I would like to just for a moment pull out what I consider the key to the mystery of meekness and gentleness. How can we remain unmoved when we see so much that is wrong in the world especially when the wrong touches us? The key is to recognize that sin is also part of the providence of God. So that in practicing meekness and gentleness we imitate God himself in human form, Jesus Christ who couldn’t have been more meek and gentle with sinners always assuming they recognized their misdeed and were willing to repent. If God in human form practiced meekness and gentleness who are we to act otherwise."
People watching you, people maybe even try testing you, and they find you meek under provocation. God gives meek people such influence over others as no one else on earth has a right to enjoy. It may be that the one toward whom I am to practice heroic meekness, it may be that the person toward whom I must practice heroic meekness, is the one over whom God wants me to exercise that influence. That it maybe without me and my meekness that person may never be converted to God.
That is what I mean when I often refer to the face we put on the Catholic Church. I know, that every time I lose my temper, and am impatient or angry with others, I cause harm to the mission of the Church. The anger we wear on our sleeve is like the bumper sticker on our cars that tells everyone we are proud to be Catholic, as we screech past them offering a salute with a few choice words.
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His name is technically spelled, Charbel, and I will use the two interchangeably.
I stumbled upon this movie on YouTube on his feast day, July 24th. I finished watching it tonight and wanted to draw attention to the fact that it is available, with English subtitles. I highly recommend watching this when you can do so in a prayerful way. It is now among my favorite movies on the saints. I wasn't surprised to read this in a report by Catholic News Agency last week on his feast day:
Charbel's superiors observed God's “supernatural power” at work in his life, and he became known as a wonder-worker even among some Muslims. In 1875, he was granted permission to live as a solitary monk in a nearby hermitage dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.
Saint Charbel he canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 9, 1977. Pope Paul VI, in his homily that day, said (slightly edited google translation, emphasis mine in bold):
"Yes, the kind of holiness practiced by Charbel Makhlouf is a great weight, not only for the glory of God, but for the vitality of the Church.Certainly, in the one Mystical Body of Christ, as St. Paul says (cf. Rom 12, 4-8.), Charisms are many and varied;they correspond to different functions, each with its indispensable place.We need Pastors who gather the people of God and president wisely on behalf of Christ.We need theologians who investigate the doctrine and the Magisterium… We need evangelizers and missionaries who carry the word of God over all the world's roads.We need catechists who are teachers and educators informed of faith...We need people who are dedicated directly to the support of their brothers...But we also need people who are available to be victims for the salvation of the world, freely accepting penance, in an incessant prayer of intercession, like Moses on the mountain, in a passionate search for the Absolute, God testifying worth to be worshiped and loved for himself.The lifestyle of these religious, monks, hermits of these is not available to all as an imitable charisma;but in its pure state, in a radical way, they embody a spirit which no faithful of Christ is taught, they have a function that the Church…"
I've encountered so many Catholics over the years who tend to think one charism over another is better, when in reality they are all needed. Some people are even dismissive of monastic, cloistered, and eremitical life. Yet, those who follow the call into these ways of life - all do work that is largely hidden to the world. Others are graced to understand the value these souls provide to the Church. In the movie we see Saint Charbel take on the penance of someone who has confessed their sins. When we do penance and prayers of intercession for others, we imitate Christ who offered Himself for our sins (Colossians 1:24). We don't need to be monastics to do this.
Why would a lay person - whether they are single or married, take interest in the life of a holy man who lived much of his life in silence and solitude? While it is not practical for father or mother to practice silence when they should be paying attention to children, there are times during the day, that anyone can choose to turn off various forms of noise - from TV and radio, to text messaging and social media. The question is, do we make use of opportunities to be in silence, and to explicitly offer that silent period up to God for the conversion of sinners or for those in purgatory? These things are hardly taught any more and they are far from passé. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them.
If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.
We are also reminded, learning about someone like Saint Sharbel, about other forms of penances, but also about charity. How many times this saint had a reason to complain about someone or something. When confronted with someone who was offending him, he didn't stand there and defend himself because his feelings were hurt. He let it roll off his sleeve. He was secure in his relationship with God to not be concerned with what was said or done to him. When confronted with something troubling or evil, he turned to prayer, silence, and more penance. Making acts of reparation for someone else's sins is something foreign to those of us who were raised to value our self esteem more than our souls, or the souls of others. We need our priests and bishops to talk more about this aspect of our faith.
Some things in the movie may seem harsh or difficult for us to relate. Many of us have grown up in a culture and time when we can choose to overindulge in everything from food to things. Comfort is what the world teaches us to pursue; but is that what we learn from the Crucifixion?
We need more saints like Sharbel among us, not just to pray for us and for the Church in some distant, hidden place, but for what they can teach those close to them, and the rest of us long after they are dead and their stories become public.
Something that really endeared me to this movie, besides the great acting of each of the boys and men who played the role of Charbel from infancy to death, was looking through a different movie lens. I'm accustomed to seeing films made in the US or Italy on the lives of saints. Given that he lived in Lebanon, I was glad to see things as close to "home" as they could be in this movie. I was taken back to time and place. This wasn't about something that took place during the time of Saint Francis of Assisi, yet it seemed so. Even watching how the brothers made wine was interesting or how Saint Charbel pressed a host to be used at Mass. The movie gets into some of the interesting little miracles that happened during his life. They continued after his death, which came following a stroke he suffered during Divine Liturgy on Christmas Eve.
I also found the cinematography aesthetically pleasing. The meditation this movie pulled me into lasted long after I got done watching segments of it. I found it working on my thoughts during the day. There is a desire to be in solitude, and to go into Adoration, or to a daily Mass. The Holy Spirit can work through films like this, just as He can work through books, to move us, if we allow ourselves to be moved.
The video is embedded below, or you can go right to YouTube and watch it there. It is not high quality so the smaller the screen you watch it on the better it will look. Tablet viewing was pretty good, as was my iPhone.
The movie is at Amazon, but it does not have English subtitles. In fact, it says nothing about what language it is in, so I would not recommend getting it unless you contact the seller and ask. The version with subtitles appears to be a work on YouTube. It would be nice to see this movie formally sub-titled and marketed by sites entities like Ignatius and EWTN on DVD. The quality of the story, the scenery, and the acting, makes it a pity it is limited to YouTube, but I'm grateful it is available there.
I've been trying to make it around to some parishes near my home with Call to Holiness Conference flyers. Lower prices are in effect through August 15th and I'm trying to get the word out. There is a youth conference attached to it, and Chaldean Catholic priest, Fr. Anthony Kathawa, is MC'ing that. He was quite popular with the young people at the last Call to Holiness Conference.
As I walked in, the Divine Liturgy at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Warren was about to get underway at 10:00. I ran up to Fr. Fadi Philip and asked him for permission to put out the flyers, which he granted. Having already satisfied my Sunday obligation, I almost left, but decided to stay for the Divine Liturgy. I had been to their Thursday evening Divine Liturgy a few times, which follows a period of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament starting at 5:00 p.m. However, I had never witnessed it on Sunday. More on the Liturgy in a moment.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established in 2013 when the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle of Detroit bought the St. Sylvester site in Warren. It closed last year and it's members merged with those of the former St. Edmund's, under the new name, St. Faustina. Given how some shuttered Catholic parishes in the U.S. have ended up vandalized, or sold off to non-Catholic christians, or even non-Christian or secular groups, I was very glad to see the church remain in Catholic hands. They had been renting the parish for some time before that, as a mission. I got somewhat attached to them the way fellow blogger, Terry Nelson got attached to the Ethiopian Catholics near his home. I agree with him - we could use to learn so much from those in other rites. Here in southeast Michigan, there are no shortage of other rites to visit.
Having Chaldean Catholics so close, and having prayed with them in the Divine Liturgy, is a constant reminder of the pain and suffering our Catholic brethren have endured through persecution. I look around at the faces of these people and wonder what they gone through, what they have witnessed, the concerns they have for family and friends back home. My heart breaks as I consider what has happened now in Mosul. Yet, I saw no signs of bitterness or anger or despair. I saw people coming to worship God and lay their fears and concerns on the altar.
Each time I have stopped in at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, I have felt a warm welcome, not only by a friendly glance, but by the fact that someone will come up to me in the vestibule to chat. The very first time I went there, I must have looked like a deer in headlights. I had gotten out of work late and was very tired - too tired to go to Assumption Grotto for the 7:00 p.m. Mass and Holy Hour that followed. I noticed cars in the parking lot as I drove by the old St. Sylvester site and realized a Divine Liturgy was probably going to happen. I thought: Why not? A woman, seeing it was my first time, introduced me to the priest, Fr. Fadi. He was very encouraging, and the woman said she would sit with me in the back and explain what was happening as it went along. It was nice to have such a guide. Fr. Fadi gave me Communion in english.
Some thoughts on the Divine Liturgy
This first part of the Divine Liturgy here was in Arabic, and much of what we would call the canon was done in Aramaic. Hearing the words of consecration in the language used by Jesus is a rather profound feeling.
There is nothing casual about this Liturgy. The chanting makes it all the more solemn, as do the gestures, like the bells ringing each time the Persons of the Trinity were mentioned, and people crossing themselves. I could have listened to the chant all day long, even though I could understand none of it. I was glad to see they had booklets in the pews with some English. I was able to follow along. My only regret is not knowing what Fr. Fadi was saying in his homily.
The Divine Liturgy is structured different from the Roman rite, but certain parts are still recognizable. This appeared to be reformed in some ways, but not knowing the history of the rite, I cannot be certain. In contrast to the Roman rite, some things are arranged in different places, and there are some prayers that, quite frankly, would be beneficial. Similar prayers attracted me to the extraordinary form, and I didn't think there were others that would enable me to enter worship of God more deeply, but I found some today. There is no doubt that whether it is the ordinary form of the Roman rite, or the extraordinary form, or one of many variations of Divine Liturgy in the Catholic Church - it is a valid form of worship. But, I find certain prayers in the EF Mass and, in the Divine Liturgy, more helpful to me.
The way the sign of peace was handled was nothing at all like what we see in the ordinary form Mass. I liked that it was placed after the Creed and before the Sanctus. The priest touches the altar, then gives a sign of peace to a man I believed was a deacon. His hands appeared to be clasped and the priest appeared to clasp over them. This was done in a reserved manner. He, then, passed it along the same way to about five or six young servers who then went to the pews behind them making the same hand gesture to those in the front pews. It worked it's way from the front to the back like a wave, everyone waiting quietly to receive it from someone in front of them. Through it all, one could hear a pin drop, such was the silence and reverence. But, this needs to be taken into context of what was prayed directly before (source):
Priest
Peace be with you.
People
And also with you.
Servers
Let us give peace to one another in the love of Christ; Let us praise and beseech the Lord in purity and penance. Reverently look at what is taking place before you, the consecration of these sacred mysteries. The priest has approached to pray that through his mediation, peace may increase among you. Cast down your pride and lift up your thoughts to heaven and attentively pray in your hearts.(Sit)
Server
Be attentive and pray that peace be with us.
Priest
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever.
People
Amen.
Priest
Lift up your hearts….
The prayer of the servers that I've emboldened includes a gentle admonishment to be attentive in our hearts. Consider that in a mere moment, at the hands of the priest, ordinary bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. That prayer sets the proper mood for what is about to happen on the Altar.
This part follows the Consecration during the Invocation of the Holy Spirit:
Priest
May Your Holy Spirit come, our Lord, and rest upon this our sacrifice. May it be blessed and hallowed to become for us the forgiveness of our offenses, the hope of our resurrection from the dead, and the new life in the kingdom of Heaven with all who have pleased You. For Your wondrous graces toward us, we praise and glorify You in Your church, redeemed by the precious blood of Your Son Jesus Christ.
Server
Remain silent and with respect. Pray that peace be with us.
Priest
With pride and delight let us give praise, honor, glory, and worship to Your life giving and holy name now and forever.
People
Amen. In Your goodness O Lord, have mercy on us. In the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out our offenses. For we acknowledge our offenses and our sins are always before us. Let us hear the sound of joy and gladness. Turn away Your face from our sins and blot out all our guilt. A clear heart create for us O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within us. Cast us not from Your presence, and Your Holy Spirit take not from us. Give us back the joy of Your salvation and a willing spirit sustain in us.
Once again, a server admonishes the people to "remain silent and with respect." I can tell you, it already was silent and respectful, but this, to me, is a good reminder that Jesus is on the Altar. Note again, how the prayer of the people acknowledges sinfulness and seeks the help of God. We don't have too much of this kind of thing in the ordinary form of the Mass, as we do in the extraordinary form. But, I think there is even more in this Divine Liturgy. I like it.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help getting not a few petitions after Divine Liturgy
One thing I like about Archbishop Sheen is his approach to discussing the faith. While he cracks a joke now and then (and is truly funny at times), he's not condescending or bitter when talking about problems in the Church. He's very matter-of-fact about it all. When you hear people quoting Archbishop Sheen, or others like Fr. Hardon, and even Bishop Schneider or Cardinal Burke, watch how they quote them. We should all convey their teachings the way they have been conveyed by them. Find originals and read, watch, and listen for yourself. Here is one such example.
A short time ago, I made another post discussing some apps and online sources for finding audio and video of Archbishop Sheen. I completed listening to a roughly 30 minute talk he gave, opening a retreat he was giving.
This talk took place sometime after Vatican Council II. In the talk, he discusses the confusion over the word, "World" and says this confusion resulted in chaos, especially among the clergy and religious orders, but also among the laity. He explains early in his talk that people were becoming worldly. Their attitudes towards the world were changing. And, at the same time, the Church began to interact with the world and the world with the Church.
In the beginning he speaks about the Church entering the world; and, the world entering the Church. To illustrate the first point he looks at how popes were crowned from 1914 on through Pope Paul VI. I'll let you hear it in the audio rather than try to summarize. After he explains it as he sees it, he asks the question: "Do you see the movement - the Church going into the world?"
Then he shifts into showing how the world was coming into the Church (once again here, we don't have much context yet into the word, "world." This comes later). To illustrate this next part, he makes use of the bishops at major councils. 400 years ago, at the Council of Trent, he says it was all Mediterranean, European, and Latin. Fast forward to Vatican Council I (1870), and it was unchanged. He explains, there was still, not a single bishop from Africa or Asia. Fast forward to Vatican Council II (1962-65) and he says over 60% were from North and South America, Africa, and Asia. I was thinking about how this happened at a point in time when intercontinental transportation was making real progress and not limited to ships which led to long travel times. It all seems to fit into God's plan.
At that last council he said it was not uncommon to hear people say that the Church needed to go out into the world. He then says, "…and they were indeed right [pause]… but, what is the world?"
Sheen explains that Scripture has two meanings of the word, "world." In the first case, it refers to the cosmos, to creation (he quotes from John, Chapter 1 and John 3:16). The second meaning of the word, "world," is a spiritual organization without God. He goes on to explain that when they had heard the Church was going out into the world, they had not made the distinction. "The result," he says, "was chaos among the clergy, in religious orders, and among the laity." Some people went to one of two extremes - on one side, he labels, "the psychotics;" and, on the other side, "the neurotics." He says the psychotics believe that 2 and 2 equal 5 while the neurotics believe 2 and 2 is 4, but they are mad about it.
That is just the beginning of this great talk. Later he goes in to the problem with dialogue retreats and conferences where he says people might feel like they are accomplishing something because they are talking, but it comes at a cost. I agree with him. he called them passé, but I think these things are still happening.
I hope you will take time to listen to it, perhaps more than once. See the link near the beginning of my post.
You can find the whole set of talks from this "Retreat For Everyone
" at Amazon in a CD or online at the link I provided near the top of this post.
I'd like to know the year this retreat was recorded so if anyone knows, email me at TeDeumBlog (at) gmail (dot) com. I closed my comment box indefinitely some months ago for a number of reasons, chief among them, no time to moderate and discuss. Most people are discussing in social media like Facebook and elsewhere anyway.
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It's Saturday, I'm doing the usual Saturday pick-up and cleaning. Today, I decided to make use of a free app for iPhone and Droid with MP3 files of Venerable Archbishop Sheen. It's not all free, but a sampling. I learned that I would have to pay $8.99 to unlock all of the files. I considered just how much content there was and felt it was worth it.
This YouTube video shows how the App works.
I discovered that there were many other apps as part of an MP3 audio vault. You can find all kinds of audio to listen to. I've got the one on G.K. Chesterton and listening to a couple of free samples, I thought the quality good enough to pay the $7.99 to unlock the full set. However, the one on the Church Fathers - the few I heard - sounded like they were recorded outdoors or something. So, before unlocking addition in-app purchases, be sure to listen first to the quality of an individual set you are considering. See the full Catholic MP3 Vault options here.
At one of the Fulton J. Sheen websites, you can find most or all of these MP3's so you can click and listen to them on your computer, or download. [Edit: I just learned you have to pay a one time fee of $27 to have access to those MP3's online. However, you can find some here that are open for listening online]
Many of his videos are uploaded on YouTube and other video sites. Here is one I will probably listen to next. Here, he explains the Mass.
The FSSP has initiated this, asking all apostolates to join in. Given the time frame, it gives priests and people an opportunity to prepare. Here is their post:
July 22, 2014: August 1, Day of Prayer for Christians persecuted in Iraq, Syria and the Middle East
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter asks all of its apostolates around the world to dedicate Friday, August 1 to a day of prayer and penance for the Christians who are suffering terrible persecution in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East.
August 1 is the First Friday of the month and the Feast of St. Peter in Chains, which is celebrated as a Third Class Feast in FSSP houses and apostolates. It is the feast in which we read of the great power of the persevering prayer of members of the Church: “Peter therefore was kept in Prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him.” (Acts 12:5)
This feast of our Patron should be an invitation to the faithful to join us in Holy Hours and other fitting prayers to beg the Most Holy Trinity that these members of the Mystical Body may persevere in the faith, and that, like St. Peter, they may be delivered from this terrible persecution. May such a day serve as a reminder to us of the stark contrast that stands between our days of vacation and ease, and their daily struggle for survival as they are killed or exiled from their homes.
The Call to Holiness Conference is set for September 12-13 at the Sterling Inn in Sterling Heights. See Archbishop Vigneron, Dale Ahlquist, Dr. Peter Kreeft, Fr. William Casey, Sr. John Dominic, and Dr. Ray Guarendi. See the Call to Holiness Website and sign up today. Early bird pricing through August 15th.
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Please support this fundraiser if you are able to go, or donate. I am familiar with the work of St. Paul Street Evangelization here in Detroit because I have friends who have been involved. Here is an advertisement, and an earlier letter from Archbishop Vigneron supporting the effort.
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Fr. Altier is a diocesan priest and a secular Carmelite, just like Fr. Perrone, who is the spiritual chaplain of my community which meets at Assumption Grotto on the First Saturday of every month. Yes, diocesan priests who are drawn to a particular religious spirituality can become members of their secular branches, in many cases.
Here is the one he gave on July 16, 2001 - the year of the 750th Anniversary of the Brown Scapular.
I'm going to include this note which accompanies each of the homilies:
Note: Father Altier does not write his homilies in advance, but relies solely upon the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.
Monday July 16, 2001 Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Reading I (1 Kings 18:42b-45a) Reading II (Galatians 4:4-7) Gospel (St. John 19:25-27)
Today we celebrate the most wonderful feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. One might wonder why Our Blessed Lady would be named after a mountain. If we think about some of the apparitions of Our Lady, when she appears in a certain city they name her after the city. In this particular case, Carmel (which in the ancient world is always considered a holy mountain) is where the hermits lived from the time of the prophet Elijah. In the first reading, we heard about Elijah going up and sitting on top of Mount Carmel (at what would be modern-day Haifa) overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. He sent his servant out seven times to see if there was a cloud; there had been three years of drought at this time. Elijah prayed and up from the sea a little cloud, which symbolizes Our Lady, came to Mount Carmel. From that time on, there were hermits that lived on that mountain. They knew that the Mother of God was going to be born to the Jewish people and that she would bear the Messiah. These hermits on Mount Carmel were dedicated to the future Mother of God. They prayed for the woman who would give birth to the Messiah.
We are told, in Saint Matthew's Gospel, that after the birth of Jesus the Holy Family went down to Egypt. But then, because of fear of Herod, they came back by a different route. There were only a couple of routes that they could have taken at that time to get up to Nazareth. They took the route that goes up along the Mediterranean Coast through Caesaria Maritima and up to Mount Carmel. The tradition is that there, on Mount Carmel, the hermits gathered and Our Lady showed to them the Christ Child. There is evidence from the very early centuries of chapels that were dug into the side of the hill in the caves where the hermits lived that were dedicated to Our Lady. They were little Nativity chapels made in the form of the Cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem. There they worshipped God and they honored Our Blessed Lady. After that, the hermits were no longer devoted to the future Mother of the Redeemer, but to the one that they had seen, the Mother of Our Lord who had come to them and showed them Our Blessed Lord.
Today we also celebrate something else which is very wonderful: the 750th anniversary of the Brown Scapular. In 1251, Our Lady appeared to Saint Simon Stock and gave him the scapular. That is being celebrated today in a special way. If you do not have a Brown Scapular, I strongly urge you to get one. As we heard, in both the second reading and the Gospel, we are children of God and children of Our Lady, adopted sons and daughters of God. From the Cross, Our Lord said, "Behold your mother." Like any mother, Our Lady will clothe us. She has given us this garment of salvation - the Brown Scapular - and promised that anyone who dies wearing the scapular will not go to hell. Anybody who does not wear the scapular needs to stop and think about where their soul is at. Why would we not want to wear the garment of Our Lady, to take on the yoke of Christ (as the scapular covers both sides and goes over the shoulders), to be able to say that this is a sign of a life of holiness and innocence? It is Our Lady's guarantee that she will take care of her children and that she will bring us safe and sound to the glory of Heaven. That is what we celebrate today.
When we think about Our Lady and name her after a mountain, we recall that Jesus is called a mountain. We see that most clearly in Daniel's prophecy. Remember when he sees the statue with four different types of material: bronze, silver, gold, and tile. Then, he sees a little stone hewn from a mountain that becomes a huge mountain and fills the whole world; that is Jesus Christ and He is Carmel. We read Saint John of the Cross and one of his great works is called Ascent of Mount Carmel. It is the way to growth in holiness and perfection. The climbing of Mount Carmel is the climbing of the mystery of Jesus Christ, it is to enter into the depths of Christ. It is Our Lady, Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, who leads us perfectly to her Son and to the top of the mystical mountain.
This feast was instituted by the Carmelites between 1376 and 1386 under the title "Commemoratio B. Marif Virg. duplex" to celebrate the victory of their order over its enemies on obtaining the approbationof its name and constitution from Honorius III on 30 Jan., 1226 (see Colvenerius, "Kal. Mar.", 30 Jan. "Summa Aurea", III, 737). The feast was assigned to 16 July, because on that date in 1251, according to Carmelitetraditions, the scapular was given by the Blessed Virgin to St. Simon Stock; it was first approved by Sixtus V in 1587. After CardinalBellarmine had examined the Carmelitetraditions in 1609, it was declared the patronalfeast of the order...
And we end this post with the Flos Carmeli by Floor Peeters
FLOWER of Carmel, Tall vine blossom laden; Splendor of heaven, Childbearing yet maiden. None equals thee.
Mother so tender, Who no man didst know, On Carmel's children Thy favours bestow. Star of the Sea.
Strong stem of Jesse, Who bore one bright flower, Be ever near us And guard us each hour, who serve thee here.
Purest of lilies, That flowers among thorns, Bring help to the true heart That in weakness turns and trusts in thee.
Strongest of armour, We trust in thy might: Under thy mantle, Hard press'd in the fight, we call to thee.
Our way uncertain, Surrounded by foes, Unfailing counsel You give to those who turn to thee.
O gentle Mother Who in Carmel reigns, Share with your servants That gladness you gained and now enjoy.
Hail, Gate of Heaven, With glory now crowned, Bring us to safety Where thy Son is found, true joy to see. Amen. (Alleluia.)
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